Dream Factory: A Novel By Sujatha translated by Madhavan Narayanan

About the Book
Set in Kollywood, or the Tamil film industry, in the 1980s, Dream Factory is a fictional chronicle of the rising and falling fortunes of various players in show business.

Arun Vijay, the handsome protagonist, who is at the peak of his career as a superstar.

Arumairajan, the passionate hotel waiter, who stakes everything in his life to make it big as a lyricist.

Manonmani, the small-time actress, who struggles to deal with the compromises she is forced to make.

Premalatha, the attractive but ageing heroine, who finds herself falling out of favour with fickle audiences even as she longs to settle down in life.

Based on bestselling writer Sujatha’s first-hand observations, Dream Factory is a page-turner filled with memorable characters and incidents that ring true, providing readers a no-holds-barred look into one of the world’s most prolific film industries.

Madhavan Narayanan says, “It was challenging yet fulfilling to translate a modern writer in the world’s oldest language, Tamil. The engaging plotline had to be balanced in English with the sights, sounds and smells of the story set in the times when Chennai was called Madras in a manner that gets across to an international reader while retaining the original cultural flavours. The fact that this is about the inside dealings in a much-watched, colourful film industry in the 1980s made it a fascinating journey for me — and I expect the same for the readers.”

About the Author and Translator

Sujatha (3 May 1935–27 February 2008) was the pseudonym of Tamil writer S. Rangarajan, who started writing under the name of his wife to avoid being confused with a well-known writer sharing his name. ‘Sujatha’ Rangarajan was a senior manager at the state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd; he was a key figure in the team that invented the electronic voting machine. On the other hand, in the literary world, he was a cult figure of sorts. Rangarajan wrote pop novels in the detective and romance genres as well as serious literary explorations and science fiction. As a movie script writer, he helped script hits such as Boys and Thiruda Thiruda. Sujatha was a regular contributor to topical columns in Tamil periodicals such as Ananda Vikatan and Kalki. He also served briefly as the editor of Kumudam weekly.

Madhavan Narayanan is an editor, writer and columnist who has worked for well-known media organizations, including Reuters, The Economic Times, Business Standard and Hindustan Times after starting out in The Times of India group. He has written on topics that include from business, economics, public policy, politics, technology, diplomacy, entertainment, culture and social issues, and has covered events such as the Indian general elections, global G-20 summits and the Kargil War as a correspondent.

For further information please write to sagiri.dixit@harpercollins.co.in
Fiction/Translation | PB | Rs 399